Bad Day
by Celeste38
Summary: A friend gets hurt and an old enemy returns, but it's not going to be easy for Darkwing to handle...Please Read and Review!
1. Chapter 1

**Tada, another new fanfic! I'm having a blast writing all of these, I hope you readers enjoy my latest idea! Read and review please!**

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Launchpad placed a hand on the warm and shining surface of the old plane; one that he had flown, crashed, and fixed many times in the past. He smiled as his fingers trailed over the metallic surface, and couldn't help but recall all of the thrilling adventures he had previously had while piloting it.

The sound of the kids laughing inside as they buckled up, and the orders being barked by his employer, enhanced his pleasant trip down memory lane….It had been a while since he had flown a plane for Scrooge McDuck, and he had missed it.

"Launchpad, you dolt, hurry up and get inside!" The old duck ordered before closing the side door and getting into the passenger seat.

The young, tall duck shook his head to clear his thoughts, and grinned in response. "Sure thing Mr. Mc D, we'll be up in the air in a jiffy!"

He climbed inside and took his seat at the helm, going through the motions of starting up the plane with a cheerful smile on his face. In no time, the propellers were whirling and in seconds they were in the air. Giving the pilot the same old thrill he always got when he was behind the wheel of a plane…in the sky, he was truly at home.

"It's just like old times, eh Mr. Mc D?" He laughed as he did a loop enthusiastically, earning hollers of approval from Gosalyn and the three boys. Meanwhile prompting a look of annoyance from the old duck, who had kept a tight grip of his armrests.

"Aye…like old times." Scrooge replied in an irritated tone, glaring at his friend. "Now, quit playing around and take us straight to our location. I want to make this trip a short one; I have an important meeting I need to attend to on Monday."

In the back, the four children were fidgeting in their seats. They were all excited about the trip, each of them looking forward to the excellent adventure they were sure to have.

"Oh, I hope it's as exciting as Launchpad makes them sound!" Gosalyn said quickly, taking a peek out her window. "You guys are so lucky; you get to do this sort of thing all the time!"

The triplets each grinned at their new friend's remark.

"You're lucky too!" Huey piped up as his two brothers pulled out the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook, eager to read up on the area they were travelling to. "You live in St. Canard! Something cool is always happening there, that place is crawling with super villains."

"You must have seen at least one showdown between a bad guy and Darkwing Duck." Dewey added, glancing up from his book. "What's it like?"

"Is he as cool and mysterious as he sounds?" Louie asked, while continuing to read.

Gosalyn smiled back at her new friends, the family Launchpad had before he came to the city, knowing she held a secret over them.

"Oh, he's pretty cool." She said with a sly grin, looking back out the window. Her face paled when she spotted something familiar dashing through the clouds next to them, although her stunned expression went unnoticed by the boys.

The sudden, violent, shaking of the plane when something slammed into its side; however, caught everyone's attention.

"What on earth are you doing?!" Scrooge yelled angrily, glaring at the pilot.

Launchpad's forehead was sweating nervously as he attempted to regain control of the plane. "I don't know what's going on! It felt like something hit us…"

The plane shook again, this time it was caused by an impact from the other side.

"I'm taking her down, everybody hold on!"

After a terrifying plummet; the plane evened out and skidded across the ground, kicking up dirt until it finally came to a stop a few feet away. The only sound that could be heard inside was the heavy, terrified, gasps of the passengers. It had been a close call…

"Is everyone all right?" Scrooge asked after a moment, turning in his seat to try and get a look at the children in the back. Satisfied to see that, while a little shaken up, they were alright.

He didn't notice a large shadowy figure looming towards them, but Launchpad did. And like Gosalyn had when she spotted the fearsome individual from her window, he froze in his seat. "It…it can't be…"

The rich duck, having heard his pilot's terrified whisper, turned his attention to the man next to him. And then, when he noticed the shadow himself, looked towards the figure rapidly approaching them. "What…?"

"Mr. Mc D…" Launchpad whispered in a serious tone, his eyes never leaving those of the man coming closer and closer to the plane. "Get into the back with the kids; don't let him see them…"

Before Scrooge could protest to the command, a large hand crashed through the windshield of the plane and grabbed at the young pilot. Pulling him effortlessly from his seat and dragging him through the broken glass, punching him violently in the gut and knocking the wind out of him. The three boys had yelped in fear at the sound as their uncle scrambled to get out of the plane and go to his friend's aid, but Gosalyn remained still in her seat.

She was frozen in fear and oblivious to what was going on around her. Launchpad could see it in her eyes as he took one fleeting glace back at the plane before being brutally thrown to the ground, and was grateful that she and the boys were too stunned to try and help. He'd never forgive himself if anything happened to Scrooge or the children.

"Look at me, you idiot!" His captor hissed angrily, roughly grabbing him again and lifting him into the air so they would be at eye level. The red light of one robotic eye glowed menacingly, but it didn't intimidate the pilot.

"I don't know how you came back from the dead….but you don't scare me, Taurus Bulba." Launchpad said calmly, his eyes locked with the former crime-boss. "I won't tell you where he is!"

The robotic bull snarled at the remark and tightened his grip on the tall duck in his hands, "Not even to save your own life?"

Scrooge McDuck had been silent throughout the exchange, cautiously inching closer to the two in the hopes of catching the monstrous cyborg off-guard. When he heard the threat being directed at the young man, he tightened his grip on his cane angrily.

The action didn't go unnoticed by Taurus, and he gave a small chuckle of amusement as he threw his victim into the side of the plane, watching with a dark smile as the limp form slid off its smooth surface and landed roughly onto the grass. Half-conscious.

"You are far too loyal to that imbecile, Darkwing Duck, for your own good." The bull commented to the younger man as he turned his attention to the old duck with new interest, lifting a robotic arm and pointing it at his new target. "You're not afraid for your own life, but what about the old miser?"

The duck in question glared up at the menacing figure and raised his cane, prepared to fight if it was necessary.

Launchpad saw the fierce look in Scrooge McDuck's eyes, but he also saw the murderous gleam within Taurus Bulba's. Fear helped his mind fight back the murky waves of unconsciousness, and he began to stand on wobbly legs.

"I've been to the Bridge, and was disappointed to find that the dolt wasn't there…" Taurus explained, staring back into the pilot's eyes as he spoke while keeping his arm aimed at the old duck. His hand morphed into the barrel of a gun. "Which means that Darkwing has another place where he can hide…where is it?"

Both Scrooge and Taurus Bulba saw the conflicting emotions shift to and fro on the young man's face.

"Time's running out, Mr. McQuack…"

The rich duck saw the unease in his friend's face, but knew that Launchpad would not reveal such an important secret to the villain. He would be disappointed in the pilot if he did.

And so, reluctantly, he closed his eyes in preparation to face his death. Praying that the luck from his First Dime would do its magic once more, and help him overcome the danger as well as get the upper-hand in the situation.

After what seemed like an eternity, the sound of a gunshot cut through the tense silence in the air.

Scrooge found himself falling to the ground seconds later, and it took a moment before he realized there was no pain. Then it dawned on him that it wasn't the force of the bullet that sent him falling onto his back; he had been physically shoved to the floor.

An overwhelming sense of panic swept over the old man when he noticed a heavy weight over him, and a coppery scent came to his nostrils as a warm wetness quickly began to soak through his coat. A horrible dread pounded within him as he hesitantly opened his eyes, and it intensified when his suspicions were confirmed…

"Launchpad!"

The younger duck's body was sprawled on top of his own; a bullet wound in his right shoulder was bleeding heavily, his eyes were half-open and dazed.

"Laddy, speak to me!" Scrooge yelled fearfully as he rolled the limp form of his friend over and attempted to put pressure on the wound. He wanted to yell to the boys to call for help, but was afraid of what Taurus Bulba would do if he became aware of the children's presence.

His fear-filled expression turned into one of rage as he glared up at the criminal. "You…you monster!"

"You may want to focus on keeping your foolish friend alive, if I were you." Taurus said monotonously, unimpressed with the fury he saw in the old man's eyes. "He wouldn't tell me what I wanted to know…but I can still get what I wanted from him this way too. Alive or dead, he'll get Darkwing's attention. And if what happened here doesn't give that nuisance a clue..."

A sick, sinister, grin spread across the bull's face at the thought of what he planned to do next. "…then the Waddlemeyer girl will be the next one to deliver the message…I doubt she'll be hard to find."

The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance, causing Scrooge to wonder if one of the boys had managed to get to the plane radio to call for help after all. His hard glare remained in place though as he watched the cyborg tense up at the sound and turn to leave. "You'll pay for this!"

Taurus Bulba simply scoffed at the duck's threat as he began to walk away, the smug smile never leaving his face as he quickly morphed his feet into jets and took flight. He was shooting off into the distance in a matter of seconds, leaving a trail of smoke in his wake as the police cars and ambulance came to the scene…

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A groan of annoyance could be heard within the nearly empty Mallard household as the telephone began to ring. Drake had just let his head fall onto his pillow mere seconds earlier when the irritating sound assaulted his ears, and he wondered once more it he was ever going to get any sleep. He felt like hell.

As Darkwing Duck; he had spent the last 48 hours chasing after Quackerjack, and later on Megavolt, through the city after the two of them managed to escape the high security prison they had been sent to. After long hours on his feet and occasional moments of combat, with no foot, no rest, in the cold pouring rain before he finally managed to capture the two of them…he was beyond exhausted. The tiring activities the vigilante had been recently participating in had done a number on him, and he could feel the developments of the flu beginning to creep up on him.

He had hoped; with Gosalyn and Launchpad away on a trip with friends of the pilot, with the Muddlefoot's gone on vacation, and with all the big name criminals of St. Canard behind bars, that he might have been able to get some peace and quite.

Another ring from the phone; however, told him that wouldn't be the case.

"Ugh…I'm having a REALLY bad day!" Drake grumbled to himself as he got out of bed, still fully dressed since he was too tired to change into pajamas, and made his way across the room to the telephone. "This had better be good…"

After yawning once more, and shaking his head in an attempt to make himself more alert, he lazily picked up the phone and mumbled a hello…it wasn't long before his eyes widened in alarm at what he was being told. "Launchpad's…? What hospital is he at?!"

A few seconds later he was hanging up the phone and dashing to his car, speeding towards the General Hospital…panicking over the condition of his friend and wondering how his bad day could possibly get any worse!

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**I really have to stop starting new fanfics when I've got so many others I'm working on right now…but it's so much fun, I can't help it! Hope you enjoyed, I'll try to put up a new chapter soon! Review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's Chapter 2! Sorry that it's kind of short, I'm planning on making the next one longer. Enjoy!**

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Adrenaline had beaten down a majority of Drake's exhaustion as he raced down the hospital hallways, making his way to the Waiting Room. The panic going on in his mind; which had served as a formidable distraction to how tired he truly was, had long ago gone into overdrive. How badly was Launchpad hurt? What had happened to him? Was Gosalyn okay?

When he rounded the corner, one of the answers to his questions was waiting for him.

"Dad!" Gosalyn squealed. Her voice was full of relief as she got up from her chair and crashed into him, shaking frightfully in his arms. "He's back! I don't know how, but he is and he hurt Launchpad! And…and I'm afraid he's gonna…gonna…"

Drake's eyes widened with alarm as he stared down at the trembling child clinging to him, he had never seen her like this before. And again, the questions began plaguing his mind.

"Mr. Mallard?"

The duck in question tore is eyes away from his daughter, and moved his attention to the rest of the individuals in the room. A set of red-heads in pilot gear were huddled together in one corner, one would assume they were Launchpad's family, and in the other corner stood an old man with a trio of young boys. It didn't take much to figure out who he was…

"Mr. McDuck, the only thing the hospital receptionist told me when she called was that he was in the ER…what happened?!"

"His association with Darkwing Duck, that's what happened!" Scrooge growled, fuming as he wrung his cane in his hands. "If it weren't for that damned vigilante, he wouldn't be in this mess!"

"It was Taurus Bulba, Dad…" Came a terrified muffled whisper; belonging to the usually hyper and care-free little girl. "He's back…"

Drake paled at the revelation before he had the chance to get angry over the old duck's rants regarding his alter-ego, remembering his past experience with the crime boss all too well.

His encounter with Taurus Bulba had brought Launchpad and Gosalyn into his life, and had nearly killed him as well. The hero had barely managed to escape the blast from the explosion, and had been watching as the authorities came upon the criminal's body amongst the wreckage and declared him dead. It had been confirmed, and was even in the papers. How could he be alive?

"Gos, are you sure it was him?" He asked, immediately regretting it when he saw the look in the child's eyes. There was no reason to doubt her, she rarely ever got scared.

"Aye…" Scrooge confirmed as he watched the girl sulkily walk away and join his equally upset grand-nephews. "Launchpad himself had called that giant monstrosity by that name as well. Underneath all that metal, even I recognized him from his picture in the papers."

"…Underneath metal?"

The old duck returned his gaze upon the single father, and nodded his head. "He seemed to be part man, part machine…it disturbs me that there are people out there that are playing Frankenstein with the dead bodies of dangerous criminals. F.O.W.L. is most likely the ones behind his resurrection, those scums! Hopefully, S.H.U.S.H. or the D.I.A. will get to the bottom of this and stop him before he fulfills his threat."

A chill ran down Drake's spine as he listened to the rich duck speak, he already had an idea of what Taurus Bulba was after…and was afraid to hear what his threat had been. "Wha-what did he say?"

"He said he'd go after the Waddlemeyer girl next, whoever that is, unless that untrustworthy Darkwing Duck fellow reveals himself to him."

The hero in question felt his legs go weak, but managed to keep steady as his thoughts rushed frantically in his mind.

Clearly, the criminal had not noticed that the girl had been on the plane with Launchpad. Otherwise, he would have taken her hostage after his assault on the pilot. It was also comforting for the vigilante to know that the crime boss seemed to be unaware of the fact that Gosalyn had been adopted…but it would only be a matter of time before he would figure that out.

"_I'll have her stay here with the McDuck's; she'll be safe with them_." Drake thought as he tried to think of how he should handle Taurus Bulba. Knowing that the criminal was very smart, unlike most of Darkwing's rouge gallery, and would likely figure out the girl had been adopted in no time. "_That old miser has a security system that's almost equal to that of S.H.U.S.H., and he's got Gizmoduck patrolling Duckburg and acting as his bodyguard. Gosalyn will be safe with them…_"

If she wasn't at home, then it would be harder for Taurus Bulba to learn where she was and get to her. He wanted to be sure his daughter was well-protected from the monster before he acted out against the criminal; there was no guarantee on how well this was going to play out for the hero.

"_I can't go to the tower, he knows that's my hideout and probably has his goons waiting for me there if he's not already there himself. So when I don't show up, he'll get mad…and attack the Mallard residence. The Muddlefoot's are on vacation, and no one's bought the place next door yet…so no one's going to get hurt if he attacks my house…_"

Drake began calculating a plan, as best as his flu-ridden mind would allow him to, as he watched the McQuack and the McDuck families interacting with each other. Happy to see how well they got along with his daughter…and wondering if one of them would take her into their homes if he didn't survive the battle with his most deadly foe. Angry with himself for thinking that way, but well aware of the fact that it was a possibility he could die.

"How's he holding up?"

The duck turned at the sound of the voice to see Fenton Crackshell approaching him, worry over their mutual friend etched clearly on his face.

"No news yet, Fen." Drake replied quietly, now staring intently at the ER doorway in the hopes that a nurse or doctor would come out and give them an update on the pilot's condition. He needed to get back home to prepare for the attack he was sure to come, but didn't want to leave until he was sure his friend was okay. "I hope we hear something soon…"

The accountant looked over at the other duck, and quickly took notice of his flushed features. "Hey…are you alright?"

"My best friend was nearly killed by a dangerous criminal who's come back from the dead, how do you think I feel?" Drake snapped, quickly giving the man standing next to him an apologetic look. "Sorry…I'm a little under the weather, and this whole thing with Launchpad has me a bit stressed out."

Fenton nodded his head in understanding. "Hey, don't worry about it."

At that moment, to everyone's relief, a nurse came through the double doors and approached the group. "The surgery was a success, and Mr. McQuack has been moved to a room. He's okay to see visitors now…"

Everyone smiled happily, and then began to debate who would visit the young duck first. Allowing Drake to sneak away, leaving the hospital to prepare for the upcoming fight, unnoticed…


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the wait! I've been waging war with the plot bunnies that frequently pummel me with new fic ideas. So while I try to keep the fuel for the fire going on the six fanfics that I've already started, my brain is gleefully providing epic scenes for the five other fanfics I'm in the planning stages of writing. Why oh why do I do this to myself?**

**I had more planned for this chapter, but what I wanted to do just didn't mesh well with the rest of this chapter. So it'll have to wait for Chapter 4. Despite its shortness, I hope you all enjoy it!**

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Fenton glanced down at his suitcase for what felt like the hundredth time as his cab sped down the streets of St. Canard, and wondered if it would have been better for him to have gone to Drake's house as Gizmoduck instead.

He had heard the whispers of Taurus's threat to target the 'Waddlemeyer Girl' next, and then recalled the newspaper article he had read a few months ago about the Taurus Bulba case. The 'Waddlemeyer Girl' had been an orphan…that orphan was Gosalyn! He had scrambled out of the hospital in a heartbeat with the hopes of catching Drake, who had apparently left to prevent Launchpad from catching his illness, but was too late. The single father was already gone, and could have a deadly visitor ready to strike at him.

The uneasy duck worried for his friend's life, and once again cursed at himself for not turning into his alter-ego. He could have flown to Drake's house much faster than the cab was going, something he had not considered in his initial panic at the hospital. He had originally thought that going as Gizmoduck could potentially draw Bulba's attention, in case the villain had not discovered Gosalyn's new name and home yet. Now, he realized, it would have been better to arrive as the hero. For all he knew the crime lord was already at his friend's home.

"_It's too late worrying over it now…_" Fenton thought to himself, looking out his window anxiously. "_I just hope I get there before that fiend does_."

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Drake pushed through the bathroom door and desperately grabbed at the toilet just in time to throw up what little breakfast he had managed to stomach that morning. Dry heaving as a heavy sweat covered his body, causing his Darkwing Duck attire to cling to his feathers.

He sat there for a moment, panting for breath while fighting off the nausea that bubbled within him, and wondered if his decision had been the right one. While he stood a better change against the murderous criminal at the tower, where an array of booby-traps from the hideout's security system was at his disposal, it would also prove to be a death trap for the innocent civilians commuting over the bridge if the fight became unpredictable. At least at home, with many of his nearest neighbors away on vacation for the summer, he'd only have to worry about property damage…and his own life.

At least, until the SHUSH agents arrived.

"_I'm glad Hooter gave me his private line…_" Darkwing thought as he stood up on wobbly legs and washed his hands and face in the sink. He quickly dried off his wet feathers before putting on his bandana and hat, and stared at his tired face in the mirror. The hero hung his head at the idea of going to SHUSH for help on such a case, one that was so personal to him, but he knew that realistically he couldn't handle it by himself.

A sudden knock at the front door of his house pulled the mallard out of his troubled thoughts, putting him back on the alert. He took out his gun, and silently made his way down the stairs. Sneaking over to the picture window and pulling back the curtains just enough to get a glimpse of the person frantically pounding on his door. "Fenton? What on earth is he doing here?"

After hesitating for a moment; and debating over what to do, the vigilante went over to the door and opened it, surprising the duck on the other side.

"D-…Darkwing Duck?"

The hero suppressed his amusement, and gave the accountant a curious look. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Fenton blinked, getting over his surprise, and gave a worried glance over the masked vigilante's shoulder. "Is Drake Mallard home? If he is, then we need to get him out of here and fast. He's in terrible danger!"

"That's why I'm here." Darkwing reassured him, hoping to shoo the other duck away as fast as possible. "Once I learned of Taurus Bulba's return from the dead, I found Mr. Mallard and got him out as quick as possible."

The accountant looked uncertain. "He's safe then?"

"I made sure of it." The hero continued, frowning when he thought he caught a glimpse of something up in the sky. "Now why don't you get out of here yourself, before anythi-…LOOK OUT!"

There was a loud whistling sound, and then Fenton suddenly found himself being roughly grabbed at and thrown to the floor. Shocked even more when he looked up to see the masked mallard kick the door shut and throw himself on top of the stunned accountant. Shielding him as the front of the house exploded in a tremendous display of fire and splinters of wood.

Outside; the cab driver, who had been grumbling over how long it was taking the prissy duck to retrieve his friend, stared jaw-dropped at the scene that had just played out before him. When he saw the attacker, a frightening cyborg, land in front of the house and stomp angrily towards the wreckage he nearly soiled his pants. "…The hell with this!"

Tires squealed, and the sound of an engine roaring could be heard as Fenton realized his ride was gone. "I hope he calls the cops."

"Not likely..." Darkwing grumbled in response as he slowly got off the other duck, wincing in pain as he did so.

"_This is it._" He thought, fighting back the wave of fear that washed over him as he watched the robotic mobster approach the house. "_I hope Hooter gets here before things get out of hand…_"

Fenton glanced up at the vigilante, surprised by the look on the other duck's face. The Darkwing Duck he was used to dealing with was often far too cocky and egotistical to let something like fear get in the way of his uncanny skills when dealing with villains. To see him looking so terrified was quite unnerving. "This is very bad…"

"You're telling me."

"So you were here after all." The chilling voice of the approaching robot remarked, interrupting the conversation. Bulba glared down at the two ducks as he smashed his way through the rubble, smirking at his arch enemy. "Predictable as always, aren't you Darkwing?"

"Leave him out of this!" The masked duck snarled and he stood protectively in front of the accountant. Upset that his quickly thrown together plan had already begun failing him; as he now had an innocent bystander, a friend, to worry about. "You wanted me? Well, here I am."

"Are you crazy?! He'll kill you!" Fenton shrieked, staring at the hero in disbelief.

"It's worth it if no one else gets hurt." Darkwing replied in a slightly annoyed tone. "_Shut up, Fenton, and get out of here_."

The other duck's eyes narrowed stubbornly, before flicking over to the suitcase buried in the debris. He'd blow his identity, but it if it meant stopping the psychotic mobster… "Blathering Blatherskite!"

As the trapped suitcase shook, and the hero turned to give a perplexed look at his friend, Bulba growled in annoyance and fired a shockwave at the two. Knocking them backward; grinning as he watched them crash through a wall.

"Fenton?" The vigilante murmered as he slowly sat up, with rubble falling off his back as he looked over at his fallen friend. Fear tugging at him when the other duck remained still. "Fen?!"

He scrambled over to the unconscious form, letting out a sigh of relief to see that the accountant wasn't seriously hurt, simply knocked out instead. "Blathering blatherskite?"

The suitcase continued to shake violently, before suddenly bursting open in a flash of light.

"What kind of stupid remark is…?"

To say he was surprised when large pieces of metal flew out of nowhere and began attaching themselves to him was an understatement. Darkwing, as well as his arch enemy, was stunned stupid. They both recognized the armor that had assembled itself onto his body, and the hero looked down at his unconscious friend in disbelief.

"You're Gizmoduck?"

"What one learns…" Bulba remarked, savoring his new discovery. He admired the metallic suit his enemy was now wearing, factoring in how nicely some of its features would compliment his own shining body. "Despite your new look, I think you'll find that your defeat will still come quickly. And, might I add, quite painfully as well."

He flicked his wrist, with the sweet sounds of ammunition clicking into place, and allowed a frightening grin slide onto his face as he took a menacing step forward…

* * *

Things at the hospital had passed by in a blur since Drake Mallard left to face his destiny.

The McQuack clan had gone in to see their fallen family member, fawning over him until they left for home a half-hour later. Scrooge and his nephews quickly took their place. All of them, especially the old duck, expressed their relief that he was alive and well. Even Dr. Bellum had stopped in to check on the pilot, much to his delight, before heading back to the base to continue her work.

There were only two people who hadn't come in to see him yet, and while he suspected he knew what Drake was doing, he had no idea where the hero's daughter was. He worried that she had gone off to try and help her father against the revived crime boss. "_She seemed scared stiff when he attacked the plane earlier today, I just hope she hasn't gone and gotten into trouble to try and prove herself_."

It was then that Launchpad heard the hesitant knock on the door, happy to see Gosalyn as she quietly stepped into the room. "Hey there, kiddo."

She half-heartedly smiled at him, and then sat down on the corner of his bed. Her own mind wandering a little, the worry on her face was plain as day.

"You're dad knows what he's doing, Gos." The pilot reassured her, wishing there was more he could say to calm her thoughts. "He'll be fine."

The child looked unconvinced. "He got so messed up the last time he dealt with that creep, and after what happened to you today…"

She didn't need to explain how she was feeling, Launchpad understood all to well. His faith in his friend; however, kept his spirits high. The idea of Darkwing falling at the hands of one of his enemies was something he just couldn't bring himself to imagine.

"He'll be fine."

"How do you know?"

The good-hearted duck smiled optimistically at her. "You're dad is a really stubborn guy, and in my experience it takes a lot to get someone that willful down."

Memories of his past adventures with both Darkwing and Scrooge McDuck filtered into the pilot's mine, making him smile warmly at them. "You're pop's a lot like Mr. McD, nothing gets in their way when they want to accomplish something. You're dad's going to face that creep, and he's going to outsmart him just like he did last time. He's got you, me, and Morgana waiting for him…he's not going to let us down."

This brought a smile onto the little girl's face, and she hugged her friend enthusiastically. "You're right, thanks Launchpad."

He smiled back at her, but in the back of his mind he couldn't help but doubt his own words. Bulba had been the most intimidating villain Darkwing Duck had ever faced, the one who had nearly killed both the hero and his soon-to-be adopted daughter the night they crossed paths with him. The pilot couldn't help but worry over his friend's welfare in the battle he was sure to be engaging in at that very moment. "_Be careful, DW._"


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello all, sorry for the delay. Preparing for the holidays and stress at work killed my desire to work on my fics, but now I'm getting back into them again. Hope you enjoy!**

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"Could this day POSSIBLY get any worse?!" Darkwing wailed in frustration, rolling awkwardly out of his kitchen as he tried to avoid the bullets being fired at him. He frantically pressed the various buttons at his disposal, pleading with the robotic suit he was trapped in to provide him with some sort of defense. The suit, instead, gave him an onslaught of useless items that would in no way help the hero protect himself from his violent enemy. The latest item to pop out at the press of a button was a toy gun; it didn't even have a dart.

"Oh, for crying out…!"

Before the irritated duck could finish his outburst, he found himself being tackled by the monstrous bull. The sound of the crash startled Fenton back into consciousness, disoriented.

He sat up, observing the damage around him in confusion. After a moment, the events of the last couple of hours came to him. "Drake?"

"Get-out-of-here…Fenton!" Darkwing managed to wheeze, trying very hard to keep Bulba's massive gun arm away from his face.

"Darkwing?" The accountant gasped, his memory catching up with him more quickly. "Oh, right. Now I remember, you got Drake to safety…but…why are you in the Gizmosuit?"

Bulba clutched at the vigilante's wrists, giving up on trying to shoot him, and proceeded to throw the hero across the room. Back towards the kitchen, and narrowly missing Fenton as he scrambled out of the way.

Darkwing sat up, coughing from the dust while he fought off a new wave of nausea, and turned to his friend in annoyance. "Who cares how I got stuck in your stupid getup, just tell me how to work this thing. Yipe!"

The two ducks both managed to jump away in time to avoid the couch that the villain had gleefully thrown at them. "I could end this little game of cat and mouse at any time, Darkwing."

"Oh, let me guess." The hero snapped, picking himself back up and moving toward his enemy. Grateful that he was able to gain some control over the metallic outfit he was trapped in; although, he would feel much better if he could access some sort of weapon to help defend himself with. "You're just having too much fun, huh?"

Bulba grinned, clearly taking great pleasure in the situation they were in. "Why, of course."

Fenton watched as the crime-boss made another violent move against the vigilante. Trying to figure out what to do, all the while feeling totally useless. "_I can't take the suit back now, Wingy will be helpless if he gets cornered before I can do anything to help…but he doesn't know the suit like I do…_"

"Hey, Giz!" Darkwing stammered, successfully avoiding a hit. "Which button activates your propeller?"

The accountant stared at him in surprise; a second later he shared the other duck's grin. "It's the big red one on the right!"

"Alrighty then…Let's get dangerous!"

The puttering sound of the mini blades as they sprouted from the helmet was like music to Darkwing's ears. He had decided, as he watched his enemy struggle to keep his footing while the bull's face turned every imaginable shade of red, that everything he had been through it the last few hours was worth it. The expression on Bulba's face alone was priceless, and it was quite a picker-upper to have gained the upper hand on the criminal.

Without hesitation, the hero lowered his head and dashed forward. Blowing the mechanical bull backward and out onto the front lawn, where Darkwing had better control over the situation and more room to work with. Now that it wasn't so contained, the wind from his copter blades wasn't as powerful; however, now the spinning shards of metal could provide him with another form of defense. "Let's see how you like being picked on."

Bulba was surprised by the duck's actions, and cried out when the rotor made contact with the arm containing his gun. Severing it, and leaving it a sparking stump. Enraging the bull, "You, you idiot!"

Darkwing made a move to grab at the arm lying in the grass, while keeping an eye on the cyborg, hoping the severed weapon was still able to fire. He didn't want his enemy to get his remaining hand on it if it did still work, and wanted to be sure to have another means to defend himself until SHUSH arrived. The headaches and fever he had been suffering from since early that morning were starting to take his toll on him, and he wasn't sure he could continue the fight for too much longer.

Feeling a sense of foreboding as that thought passed his mind.

Taurus's lone arm shot out; unexpectedly and lightning fast. Snatching hold of one of the rotor blades, and ripping the helmet off the hero's head as the mechanisms jammed. He no longer held any amusement in his eyes. Now, his expression screamed of his cold-blooded intentions.

"Let us end this foolishness…"

Darkwing pointed the broken arm at the cyborg, desperately trying to get it to fire at its owner…without any of the results he was hoping for. Instead, he found himself flying backward once more, after a punch to the gut, and crashing into the side of his house. Just inches away from the hole the criminal had already blasted into the front of the building.

"No more games, I promise." Bulba remarked as he approached the dazed hero, roughly grabbing him by the neck and mercilessly lifting him off his feet. Bringing the person he hated with all his being to eye level. "This time…I will make certain that you die."

"Blathering blatherskite!" Fenton screamed, desperately. Agonizing over how slowly the armor seemed to detach from his comrade, before flying over and re-assembling onto him. It wouldn't do Darkwing any good now; in the position he was in, and in his obvious weakened state, the suit would only make it harder for him to breathe. But the accountant was confident that he'd be able to free his friend, and escape if they needed to. Hopefully uncovering a way to stop the villain before any more damage could be done. "Release him, you fiend!"

The bull didn't even look away from his struggling prey, "Your armor is impressive…but your weapons are pathetic, my friend, and are not in working order. Futile, really."

He grinned a little at the defeat he saw creep up in his victim's eyes, before sparing a glance at the other hero who dared challenge him. "Even Darkwing here knows you have no real chance of defeating me."

"Fe-Fent-on…"

Gizmoduck sped forward, with the intent of slamming into Taurus, but was deflected by a swift kick from the villain. Skidding back into the kitchen, and crashing into the table. He looked up at the caped duck's struggling form, his heart sinking as he noticed how quickly the kicking legs seemed to be weakening.

"Fe-Giz…ge-…get ou-out…of h-here…" Darkwing could barely speak, but he was determined to try and convince his friend to leave. "Sa-ave *cough* you-ur…self!"

"Not a chance, Wingy!" Gizmoduck retorted, scrambling to think of something, anything that could stop Taurus Bulba. He had no weapons; his suit had already been used to the max while Darkwing battled within it. What was he going to do?

"…pr-prom-ise me…you-you'll…keep…m-my little…girl…s-safe…"

While the villain didn't seem too surprised by this delirious slip of information, the accountant was flabbergasted. The pieces were starting to fit together, and the more he thought about it the more it made perfect sense. "Drake…"

Darkwing's hands gripped Taurus a little harder, in oxygen-deprived desperation, as he stared into his enemy's lone eye. His own eyes watering as black and red spots began to sprinkle across his vision.

"No!" Gizmoduck shouted, horrified as he watched his friend's hands slide weakly off of the bull's metal arm and fall limply at his sides. His masked eyes reluctantly fluttering shut. "Shoot! Think, think, think!"

As he panicked, the accountant's eyes fell down to the debris on the ground. Landing on the toy gun that had been discarded earlier without second thought, something about it nagged at him. "_Toy gun…toy gun…_"

While Bulba continued his death grip on the unconscious form he held in his grasp, Gizmoduck scrambled over to the unharmed closet where he knew Drake kept his daughter's outdoor toys. Ripping the door off its hinges and tearing into the closet's contents, grateful that his enemy was too distracted to notice what he was doing.

"For once, you fool, you have made me happy." Bulba commented as he admired the blue tint coming onto Darkwing's face, feeling the pulse underneath his metal fingertips become fainter and fainter. "Feeling you die has given me far more pleasure than I was expecting."

"Well then, you're not going to like this!"

The villain turned his head in surprise at the voice, only to get a face full of water. It caused him to drop his prey as he sputtered in response; leaving him furious as he began to spark and his entire body froze up. "What?!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Gizmoduck snarled, wielding an enormous water gun that he mercilessly continued spraying at Taurus. Sparing a concerned glance at Darkwing's limp form, before rolling over to the water facet perched on the wall near the fallen hero's body. "Water and cyborgs don't mix."

Bulba let out a strangled yell as the sprinkler system turned on, drenching him in water and completely shutting him down. Steam shot out from his ears and nostrils, as a result of his anger, while his glare remained frozen on the two ducks.

"Wingy?"

The accountant was relieved to see his friend coughing and gasping for breath as he approached, and quickly helped the caped-crusader sit up so he could breathe easier. "Slow, deep breaths…"

"Yes, mom." Darkwing snapped irritably, rubbing at his sore throat as he glared at the trapped villain. "What exactly did you plan on doing if that little stunt didn't work?"

Gizmoduck stopped patting the other duck's back encouragingly, and gave him a questioning look. Confused by the sudden hostility he was receiving. "I would have thought of something, I certainly wasn't going to leave you there."

"I specifically asked you to leave me there." Growled the other vigilante; coughing a little as he rubbed at his temples in an attempt to soothe his pounding headache. "You weren't needed here."

"Wow…I don't believe you."

Darkwing glanced up at his comrade, noting the irritation that was now creeping into the other hero's voice.

"Is your ego really that inflated?" Gizmoduck asked, standing up and rolling away a bit in his disgust. "You were about to die, Wingy. You could have died, and all you care about is the glory you'd get from beating him alone?"

"Glory's got nothing to do with this!" Was the furious response, followed by wheezing coughs.

The sound of a helicopter interrupted their argument, and they suddenly found themselves surrounded by SHUSH agents. All of whom had their guns, specially designed ones for battling the cyborg, drawn and aimed at the criminal.

Darkwing stood up, storming over to Gizmoduck who was distracted by the sudden arrival of their allies. He grabbed the other duck's arm, and jerked at it to force his comrade to pay attention to what he had to say. "I knew these guys were coming, I had alerted them of my plan to lure Bulba here long before you showed up on my doorstep."

Despite the fact that he was whispering, the accountant was close enough to hear the angry words perfectly. Staring his friend; and occasional rival, in the eye, with undisclosed surprise.

"I had been relying on you to protect Gosalyn if something went wrong, that's why I wanted you to get the hell out of here. He would have let you go; he was having too much fun killing me to care about what you were up to." The masked hero glanced over at Bulba as one of the agents began to read the villain his rights, and letting go of the other vigilante's arm as fatigue washed over him. "You would have had enough time to get your suit repaired, with more efficient weaponry…and you could have kept her safe if he decided to try and go after her again."

Gizmoduck felt shame burning onto his cheeks at the explanation he was given, embarrassed that he had jumped to the wrong conclusion regarding his friend's anger at him. "I…didn't realize you had so much faith in me."

Before either one of them could say anything else, Director Hooter made his way over to the two. He was very pleased with the results of their long battle, while oblivious to the argument they had just been having. "Splendid job my boys, absolutely splendid! I trust he didn't give you too much trouble?"

"Talk to him…" Darkwing wheezed as he jabbed his thumb at a surprised Gizmoduck, throwing a gas tab to the ground. Putting his companions off guard as the smoky cloud encased them, while he ventured back into the house unnoticed. He sat down in his rigged chair, in utter exhaustion, before slamming his fist down on the Basil statue's head. Bracing himself for the mess he was sure to greet him back at his hideout.

The whooshing sound the spinning chairs made could be heard from outside as the gas cleared up, and it wasn't long before Gizmoduck realized what had just happened. He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts, and then turned to address the SHUSH leader. "Lock up that creep real good."

Without saying anything else, the hero left the agents to their job, and retrieved his helmet. Leaving the scene before anyone could try to stop and question him further.

* * *

The hideout was just as trashed as Darkwing had, fearfully, expected it to be.

He remained seated in the chair for a few moments after his arrival, stunned by the severity of it, taking in the sight of his destroyed home away from home. Memories of all the work he had put into setting up the place all those years ago creeped up on him, as he remembered how hard it had been to salvage and fix the equipment he had found use for. And how, wonderfully, satisfying it had been for him to add the finishing touches and admire his own handiwork after everything had been installed and set up just the way he liked it. It had been his first step in his dream to be a hero, and to see the lair now in ruins devastated him.

Launchpad had been hurt, Gosalyn had been threatened, his house and his hideout were demolished, and he himself had nearly died at the hands of one of his worst enemies. He couldn't help the strangled sob that escaped his beak as everything he had been through in the last few hours, coupled with how sick he felt as a result of the past two days activities, began to wash over him like a flood.

He was exhausted, he was battle worn, he was sick…but he knew he was lucky to be alive.

* * *

Fenton found himself in the waiting room once more, silently observing the young red-head chatting away with his old co-worker. Smiling absentmindedly as he watched the two, before catching sight of the very frazzled looking duck he had been expecting. "Hold up, buddy."

Drake stopped in his tracks, honestly surprised by the accountant's presence at the hospital. He was about to inquire, when he was interrupted by the other duck's raised hand.

"Your hideout was wasted, wasn't it?"

Even though he didn't get a reply, the tired eyes staring warily back at him told him all he needed to know.

"What are your plans now, do you have anywhere to go?"

"A motel, I guess." Drake admit, putting a palm against his hot forehead as he spoke. After a moment, he slumped down into one of the uncomfortable chairs the room had to offer. "Director Hooter promised me, when 'Darkwing' told him about the plan, that any damages made to the house would be covered by SHUSH. They felt responsible for Bulba's escape and for his bounty hunt on Gosalyn…plus, I suspect Hooter's starting to put two and two together. Although, I honestly don't think that would be such a bad thing."

He stared into Launchpad's room, watching his best friend and his daughter laugh at a joke they had just shared. "It's going to be tight, but at least Launchpad can go home to his folks while the house is being rebuilt."

"Don't you have any family that would let you hang around for a while?" Fenton asked, gently.

"I was the only child," Drake said quietly. "So were both my parents. They died a long time ago; the money I inherited from them went towards the house I bought when I adopted Gos."

"It's going to take a while for SHUSH to fix it, you know." Fenton pointed out.

"We'll manage."

Before the conversation could continue, Gosalyn caught sight of her father and dashed out of the room. "Dad!"

The little girl tackled Drake in a fierce hug, nearly knocking the wind out of him, as she relayed to him what she had heard on the news. "They said the house was totally KO-ed, where are we going to stay?"

"Director Hooter's going to take care of the house for us; in the meantime we'll be staying at a motel." He didn't want to get up from the seat, despite how uncomfortable it was, but knew that waiting hours were just about over and they'd need to leave soon. "Why don't we go pick one out and get settled, huh?"

Fenton took that moment to step in. "I know just the place, why don't you let me give you a lift?"

"I think I can handle it."

"You look like you're about to drop, you can't drive in that condition!"

"…fine."

Gosalyn was confused by the strained, uncertain, way the adults were talking to each other, but quickly shrugged it off as she made her way out of the hospital and to the accountant's car. Scrambling into the back seat, and pleased to have so much space to herself. While her father nearly collapsed into the passenger seat in the front. "Man…Dad, you look horrible."

The seat was so comfortable to Drake's worn out body, that he paid little attention to his daughter's concerned observation. And instead slipped into the comforts of unconsciousness, where his problems seemed far away.

* * *

"Hey, Wingy…you gotta wake up for a bit, okay?"

It seemed like ages had passed as Drake opened up his tired eyes, taking in the new and unfamiliar surroundings. "Wha…?"

"You're at my place; Gosalyn is in the living room watching some old horror movie." Fenton explained as he helped the other duck sit up in the sofa bed and offered him a bowl of hot soup. "She said you'd be okay with it…here, eat this up. It's my Ma's old family recipe; it always makes me feel better whenever I get sick. I think a little bit of this, some good old tea, and plenty of sleep will fix you right up!"

Drake blinked blearily, giving the accountant a genuine look of surprise as he slowly took in the nutritious soup. Shivering a little, and snuggling the warm blankets closer to his body. "Why did you bring me here?"

"Because you needed a place to stay," Fenton replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "And you shouldn't have to waste your money at some dumpy motel when you've got a friend nearby with enough space to spare."

"I…I don't deserve your hospitality, not after the way I treated you earlier."

"It's already been forgotten." The accountant assured him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It was my fault for misunderstanding what you meant, and really…after everything you've been through, who can blame you for getting a little upset?"

Drake was stunned for a moment, before a grateful smile came to his face. "Thanks, Giz."

"No problem, Wingy."

And just like that, Darkwing's bad day brightened up considerably.

As he finished up his soup, and slipped back into his dreamscape, he reflected on the day's events. Realizing what good friends he had in Launchpad and Fenton, and grateful to know that they were always there to watch his and Gosalyn's back. Despite his flaws, he still managed to have that kind of support, and that made everything worth it.

Maybe, things were starting to look up after all…

* * *

**THE END**

**That, my dear readers, is the conclusion to this little plot bunny. It was a frustrating adventure to write out, one that I came near to abandoning a couple of times. However, I hate to give up on a story, and was determined to find my groove for this tale. To see it through till the end, and I'm glad I was so persistent…by the end; I loved how it turned out. Not my best, but I'm happy with it regardless.**

**I hope you all enjoyed reading the tale, and I once again thank you for putting up with me and the long waits for the new chapters!**


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